Volkswagen Polo R Cup 2012 kicks off this weekend

Here’s something for the Indian motorsport enthusiasts to cheer about. The opening round of Volkswagen Polo R Cup 2012 edition, scheduled to kick start on 8 July is just round the corner.

The inaugural race weekend will see 20 drivers racing each other at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore where qualifying sessions are usually well thought-out, since there aren’t many overtaking opportunities, which is why qualifying on the pole position becomes very crucial.

The big change made to the 2012 edition of the Polo R Cup is the switch from diesel to petrol-powered race-spec cars. After two years of racing on diesel power, drivers will now be seen gutting it out in a 1.4-litre TSI, turbocharged petrol engined Volkswagen Polo. The engine now comes mated to a six-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission as opposed to the 1.6-litre diesel engine with 6-speed manual gearbox found in previous versions. What’s more, the power is now up to about 170PS compared to 130PS of the diesel powered version. To handle all the extra power, the 2012 Cup car features traction control and limited slip differential. It also boasts bigger discs upfront with ABS, allowing drivers to brake much harder into the corners.

Prithviraj Siddappa, head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, said, “Last two years have been momentous for Volkswagen Motorsport. It has helped us to establish ourselves as an ideal platform for young drivers to step into motorsports. This year we have taken the benchmark a notch higher by introducing the TSI engine in the Race Polo which is more apt with the type of cars that the young Indian racers can expect when they graduate to international racing. The response from these young drivers has been promising and positive after the pre-season test drive they did last month at the Buddh International Circuit. It will be interesting to watch the new car and how the young racers handle a more powerful version of Race Polo during the races”.